Busy Braves cut Glavine, add McLouth and Hanson

It's hard to say which is bigger news -- the Atlanta Braves releasing a future Hall of Famer or the Braves acquiring an All-Star outfielder. Both events came rather unexpectedly on Wednesday as Atlanta decided to cut ties to left-hander Tom Glavine, who was nearing the end of his rehab assignment and was due a $1 million bonus if he had been added to the active roster.

Glavine (2-4, 5.54 ERA last season with the Braves) had just tossed six scoreless innings in his final rehab start, but the Braves apparently felt they had to move forward and not backward with the team a game over .500 and just 4 1/2 games out of first place in the NL East. Glavine says he still wants to pitch, but if any team is thinking about signing him, they'd better have a spot in the starting rotation available.

Instead of Glavine coming up to take a spot in the Braves rotation, Atlanta will instead promote top pitching prospect Tommy Hanson from Class AAA to make his major league debut on Saturday. Fantasy leaguers should pick Hanson up immediately if he's available on their league's waiver wire. (Photo by Richard Drew, AP)

The 2008 Arizona Fall League MVP has excelled in the minors so far this season. He has a 1.50 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings. He'll take the place of fellow rookie Kris Medlen in the Braves rotation.

The Braves also added to their roster by acquiring All-Star Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed reliever Charlie Morton, minor-league outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and lefty Jeff Locke. McLouth, 27, takes over as the team's starting center fielder and will combine with Chipper Jones to bolster the middle of the Braves batting order. A left-handed hitter, McLouth will probably hit third, followed by the switch-hitting Jones and left-handed Brian McCann. All three should get a slight boost in fantasy value.

From the Pirates' perspective, this deal doesn't make a whole lot of sense. None of the three players are is expected to make an impact this season ... and maybe not at all. Beyond the Boxscore is a little more generous, labeling the deal as a win for both teams.

The one thing the trade does for the Pirates is pave the way for top outfield prospect Andrew McCutchen. The 22-year-old center fielder gets the long-awaited promotion from Class AAA and is expected to be in the starting lineup when the Pirates host the New York Mets on Thursday afternoon. Hitting over .300 at Indianapolis, McCutchen has tremendous power/speed potential and should be owned in all keeper leagues. However, he could struggle initially as he gets his first taste of major league pitching.

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About Steve Gardner

Steve's been with USA TODAY in one form or another since 1993. He started
at USATODAY.com in 1996, becoming the website's baseball editor in 1999, and
has written the fantasy baseball column for Sports Weekly since 2006. Follow
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